HARTSVILLE, S.C. - Sonoco Display and Packaging, the point-of-purchase (POP) display and packaging services business of Sonoco (NYSE: SON), has been awarded five Design of the Times awards, including a gold award, by the Path to Purchase Institute.

The Display and Packaging group won the following awards:

• Gold, Supermarket/Grocery Stores category - Unilever Vaseline^® Spray & Go^™ Launch Floorstand Display
• Silver, Mass Merchandisers category – Robert Bosch STEEL TECH^™ Wiper Endcap; Unilever Vaseline^® Spray & Go^™Launch National In-Store Campaign (comprised of five display vehicles)
• Bronze, Drug Stores category - Elizabeth Arden Someday^® by Justin Bieber Launch Etagere; Unilever Vaseline^® Spray & Go^™ Launch Counter Display

"Once again, our talented group has proven Sonoco's ability to satisfy its customers by providing award-winning, high-impact retail merchandising displays," said Jeff Tomaszewski, general manager, Sonoco Display and Packaging.

The Path to Purchase Institute announced the winners in the 2013 Design of the Times Awards competition at a special reception Oct. 9 during the Shopper Marketing Expo in Chicago. Judges evaluated nearly 230 entries in the competition's eight retail channels: supermarket/grocery, consumer electronics, convenience, drug, home center/hardware, mass merchandiser, specialty and sporting goods, based on the Four C's of Effective In-store Activation:

• Command attention,
• Connect with the shopper,
• Convey information, and
• Close the sale.

Judges scored entries on a scale of 1-10 for each attribute and chose 123 finalists, based on average point total. Finalists were displayed at the Shopper Marketing Expo in the Design of the Times Gallery. The Shopper Marketing Expo is the largest gathering of shopper marketing professionals geared to inspire marketers and retailers with collaborative solutions and actionable strategies that influence decision-making along the path to purchase.